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The Health Benefits of Black Tea & How to Make the Perfect Cup

There has often been the debate about whether black tea is healthy or not. At times we’ve all tried to reduce caffeine for one reason or another, but here’s the question? Is black tea better than coffee?

Answer: Experts say it’s hard to compare apples to apples, as both tea and coffee have health benefits.

Since I’m a tea lover, I’m going to dig into the health benefits of tea, of which there are many! Coffee lovers, check out the health benefits of coffee here.

Black tea health benefits:

High in Anti-oxidants. Black tea contains polyphenols. These are antioxidants that help block DNA damage associated with tobacco or other toxic chemicals, which are different from those obtained from fruits and vegetables.

Relieves Stress: We know that having a cup of tea can be extremely relaxing, but it actually helps bring our stress hormones back to a normal level, BBC News.

Healthy Heart: “Tea is a good source of compounds known as catechins and epicatechins, which are thought to be responsible for tea’s beneficial health effects,” says Dr. Howard Sesso, noted in Health.Harvard.Edu. These compounds belong to a group of plant chemicals called flavonoids. Research suggests that flavonoids help lower inflammation and may reduce plaque buildup inside the arteries.

Benefits Digestive System: Black tea reduces inflammation in the digestive system too and combats bad bacteria in the gut.

Health.com states “The rich antioxidants in tea fight inflammation, and have been shown to help prevent blood vessels from hardening. Tea drinkers have a significantly lower risk of stroke and heart disease, and tea is known to boost brain health.”

Now that we know black tea is not only tasty but good for us too, let’s talk about how to make the perfect cuppa. Also, Marilyn was a tea drinker so you know it makes you look sophisticated too!

How to Make the Perfect Cup of Black Tea:

What you’ll need.

1. A Kettle.

This is a must. Please do notput water in the microwave! Also, a ‘boiling water’ dispenser actually doesn’t work either. It doesn’t get to boiling point, which you need to bring out the full flavours of black tea. You could have the highest quality tea and if your water is not boiling your tea will taste awful. Trust me, I’ve tried!

2. Good Quality Black Tea.

My preference is English Breakfast. You can go with tea bags or loose leaf tea.

English Breakfast: A Full bodied tea blend, robust and rich in taste. Pairs well with milk and sugar (if you like things sweet). The tea blend may consist of Assam, Ceylon and Kenyan teas predominating, and Keemun sometimes included in more expensive blends.

A good Orange Pekoe is also a great choice.

3. China Mug or Teacup

It might be just me, but drinking quality tea out of a china cup tastes better than a thick mug. It’s no different than drinking wine out of a nice wine glass. It definitely impacts the overall flavour and experience.

I was gifted this beautiful teacup and teapot (below) from Amara. It’s made by Pip Studio who are known for their vintage inspired design and quirky, cheerful patterns.

4. Tea Strainer (if using loose leaf)

Having a good loose leaf tea strainer is imperative to get the best flavour from your tea. Make sure the tea is not only steeping, but also is able to move around in the strainer as this releases the most flavour.

These are the tea strainers I recommend (sorry ball strainers)!

5. Tea Pot

A must if you’re having company, or if you simply just want to treat yourself. I’ve been enjoying my fancy new Pip Studio teapot on many mornings when I’m working from my home office. Why not!

Process:

Single Cup:

Place 1 tea bag in a cup or 1 tsp of loose leaf in a tea strainer. Tip: If using a china cup, make sure to put warm water in to warm the cup and then discard. This will ensure the cup doesn’t crack.

Boil water. Ensure it’s fully boiled.

Pour into cup or strainer and steep for 3-4 minutes depending on how strong you like it.

Remove tea bag or loose leaf from the cup.

If you want authentic British tea you need milk! So, pour the milk in now. I use about 1 tbsp or more, as I like a lot of milk. Test the amount of milk you put in to see what you like.

Add 1 tsp of sugar for those with a sweet tooth.

I used to have sugar in my tea when I was younger, but now I far prefer no sugar, which is obviously healthier.

Teapot:

Warm teapot with warm water first. Let sit for a few minutes.

Pour out the water, then place 2-3 tea bags depending on the size of the pot and how much tea you’re making. a general rule of thumb is 1 tea bag per person and an extra one for the pot. Use 2-3 tsp if using loose leaf.

Steep for 3-4 minutes before serving.

NOTE: The tea will stay in the pot and will keep getting stronger.

Add preferred about of milk and/or sugar.

Tip: To keep your teapot warm try a tea cozy. Here are some of my favourites:

That’s it! This is really the secret to a good quality cup of black tea.

Tell me… How do you like to make your tea? Also, if you don’t make it this way, give it a try and let me know what you think.

Jumping over from the Pinterest group and I just had to read an comment that I love your post on black tea! I love black tea, every afternoon I have some along with my collagen. I love special mugs too, I have enough to last me a lifetime now.

I am what I like to call a tea junkie and there is all kinds of info in post that I had no idea about. I’m guilty of using the water boiler machine that plugs in. I had no idea it made a difference in taste. I am going to have to get a kettle and compare. Great Post!!

Hey fellow tea junkie! Honestly – the kettle makes a huge difference, especially with black tea. I could honestly do a blind taste test and I’d be able to tell which cup was made with the kettle vs. not!

I drink a lot of hot tea because I don’t like coffee and I work in a office of men who DO drink coffee. They are always hot and cracking down the a/c even in the winter! Anyway, I like to make mine like bullet coffee, but bullet tea… with butter and whipped cream.
🙂 gwingal

I seriously need to start drinking more tea. I am always so amazed by all the great health benefits. I love english breakfast, too. And I’m also a fan of green tea. Are your steps the same for green tea? Or is the steep-time slightly different?

Hey Paula! Making green tea is different. The water for green tea actually shouldn’t be fully boiled as it damages the tender leaves. I just found a cute diagram that shows the different boiling temperatures for different types of tea. Check it out: http://blog.davidstea.com/en/hot-stuff-tea-steeping-temperatures Also – I drink green tea just on it’s own (no milk), but sometimes I put ginger in too which is delicious 🙂

Nice! That’s exactly how I have mine too. I find the best strainer for absolutely no leaves is a mesh strainer – but not the ball, the container type mesh strainer you place in your cup. Bodum makes some good ones.

I love a cup of hot tea in the afternoon. The winter is long and the tea warms me up and just makes me feel all cozy inside. I actually don’t drink black tea but after reading the benefits here on your list, I am going to give it a try!

I’m going to have to experiment and see if I can taste the difference! For years I’ve just heated my tea water in the microwave and drank tea out of big mugs. I’ve always enjoyed it that way, but maybe my tea drinking experience can be improved.

I love this! My very first job was a waitress at this cute restaurant called The Pink Teacup (haha I know) and so I learned how to brew pots of tea there 🙂 I’m mostly a coffee drinker so my favorite tea is darjeeling, but I definitely enjoy some nice herbal teas when I’m trying to cut down on caffeine. It’s been a while since I brewed a pot of tea, but I still make a cup of tea every once in a while 🙂 You’ve got some beautiful china for your tea!

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Hello!

I'm Yolanda. I love tea, food, the outdoors and a good book. I'm a bonus mom to two boys and I just made it official by marrying my soulmate last summer.

PutTheKettleOn.ca explores the feel good ways to live for today. With today's stresses a lot of us think about what we want to have in the future. My goal is to cherish the great things I have right now and make the most of life in the present.

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget, if you need a little self love – put the kettle on!